Self-supervised electric system



Wray 'si T925. 153mg@ J. H. DERBY SELF SUPERVISED ELECTRIC SYSTEM Filed MarCh l2, 1921 2 Sheecs--Sheet` 1 g 2oz M Mysfwzs isssz J. H. DERBY SELF SUPERVISED ELECTRIC SYSTEM Filed March 12,'19'21 2 sheets-sheet 2 4M Ho 434 V455 vPatented Nia-y 5, l1925.

JOHN

To all whom E. DERBY, O F N BUREAU, INC.,

E NEW Yonai,

EW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 .AMERICAN FIRE PREVENTION N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW' YORK.

sELE-sUPEEvTsED ELECTRIC SYSTEM.

Application filed March 12, 1921. Serial No. 451,689.

z't may ooawcm:

Be it known that I, JOHNH. DERBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city,

N. Y., have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Supervised Electric' Systems,

is a' clear, full, and This invention systemssuch of 'which the following exact description.

relates to electric wiring are employed in fire alarm, and similar electrical instalthe operation vof the system is or may be relatively infrequent, the irvention being herein shown as embodied in an electric signaling system for tire alarm and` re prevention purposes. understood, however,

It will be that the invention is not restricted to the illustrated embodiment, and that many of its novel features are of general applicability in relates.

It is important in any tion for the automatically or the art to which it l electrical installasending of a fire alarm either manually, or-for the starting or stopping of motion at a distant point,

as, for example,

shutting down of the covers of dip tanks, the dropping of the lire curtains in theatres,

etc., or in any other electrical installation in which the operation is tively infrequent, that that when the ate it will operate the practice to be or may be relasystem is called upon to operwithout fail. It has been heretofore to provide such assurance by frequent inspection of the installations and by operation tests at definite intervals,

be relied upon involved, and, cated, the inspection but such inspection cannot always because of the humanelement if the installation is complimay fail to disclose mechanical and electricaldefects which may prove to be serious when some relatively 1nf accessible part of the system 1s called upon to operate. therefore, z'to r the above specified and other uses,

substantially therefore,

The present invention aims, provide an electric system for which is self-supervised and which,

will at once indicate any derangement at anyT point. The invention aims further to provide substantially automatic supervision which rangement o will not only indicate def any part of the system but will also provide for indication of the locality of such derangement. s A particular object of the provide'an electric system for the purposes the closing of ire doors, f

assurance may be had Y l invention is tol not more complicated than unsupervised systems heretofore used, but in many respects is more simple, particularly in the character and the amount of the wiring required and in the electro-mechanical elements; employed, and which, therefore, is in itself-'much less liable to derangemeiit than systems heretofore employed.

Other objects and important features of the invention will appear from the following Idescription and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Fig'. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an electric fire alarm signaling system embodying the present invention, which is particularly designed Vfor use with electric current from the city mains; and i Fig. 2 'is a diagrammatic View of a similar system designed particularly for use with local battery current. r

The wiring systems shown in each of the figures of the drawings are intended particularly for installations in buildings having several floors such, for example as hotels, apartment houses, oiice buildings, warehouses, etc., in which it is desired to provide both for the automatic sending of a fire alarm signal when a fire vstarts without being observed, or the automatic operation of fire controlling and fire prevention means in such an event, and in which provision is also made for manual vsending of a signal or operation of distant controlling or prevention means,

there being preferably both automatic means and a transmitter box upon each floor ofthe building in which the system is installed.

In other-words, each of these systems preffrom various floors are brought, this boardpreferably having thereon trouble relays 4, 6 and 8 for the respective loorsfor which branch circuits are provided, the illustrated system being shown as designed for' use with three floors, a master relay 0 for use in connection with the sending of coded signals from the transmitter boxes and another trouble relay 12 for indicating trouble in the signalfcircuit controlled by the master relay.

The current which is to operate the system in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 is preferably 110 volt direct current taken from the city mains 14 and 16 and brought in upon the board at 18 and 20. The circuits to the various' ioors and to the relays upon the board are as follows: Coming in upon the board at 21 and connected to the terminal 20 through the wire 22 and fuse 23 is a common wire 24 passing through each of the floors andfrom which lead branch circuits forthe respective floors, these branch circuits being in parallel across the mains and comprising for the respective floors wires 26, 28 and 30 leading from the lcommon 24, the wire 30, which in the illustrated form of the invention is the branch circuit for the last Hoor, being a mere extension of the common 24. Each of these branch circuits has at its end, beyond the signal operating device in said circuit, a resistance, the resistances for the respective floors being shown at 32, 34 and 36 and each` being sufficient to hold the operating current for the branch circuit below the operating level required to actuate the code signal transmitting mechanism hereinafter t`o be described.

The branch: circuit fori'the first floor is brought back to the board through the wire 38, the run-down contact 40 hereinafter to be described, the signal transmitter releasing magnet 44, and the wire 46 coming in upon the board at 48. The branch circuit for the second Hoor, in Ia similar manner, is brought back'through the wire 50, run-down contact 52, code signal releasing magnet 54 and wire 56, coming in upon the board at 58. The branch circuit for the third floor is brought back to the bo-ard through the wire 60, run-down contact 62, code signal releasing magnet 64 and wire 66, coming in upon the board at 68.

As above pointed out, each of the branch circuits for the respective floors includes a trouble relay, the trouble relay 4 for the branch circuit for the lirst floor being connected to the board terminal 48 through a wire in which is located an annunciator light 72 which is not lighted rby the normal current permitted to flow through the circuit Aby the resistance 32, the branch circuit for the first floor being cbmpleted through a wire 74, junction 76, wire 78, shunt around the meter 8O lthrough the closed circuit push button 82, and fuse 84 to the terminal 18 where the other side of the main line circuit is brought in-upon the board. In asimilar manner, the branch circuit for the'second floor is completed through the wire 86, annunciator light 88, trouble relay 6, Wire 90, wire 92, junction 76, wire 78, pusn button held by the respective relay `magnets 4, 6

and 8 in open circuit relation to contacts 114, 116 and 118 respectively. The contacts 114, 116 and 118 are each connected to a common wire 120 leading through the board terminal 121 to a trouble signal bell 122 connected by a Wire 124 through the board terminal 126, wire 127 and board terminal 128, to the other side of the battery 98. J

The branch circuit for each floor includes one or more devices 130 for short circuiting the resistance at the end of the branch 'circuit to cause an increase of flow of current through the circuit. Preferably, some of these .devices 130 will be thermostatically operated and may be of the type shown in Letters Patent N o. 1,274,248, granted July 30, 1918, to John H. Derby and Ernest S. Clayton. The device shown in the Letters Patent just identified operates to short circuit the resistance at the end of the branch circuit by an increase in temperature beyond a predetermined point.

As above pointed out, the annunciator lights 72, 88 and 96 are only lighted when the current flow is increased beyond the amount permitted to flow normally through the branch circuit by the resistance at the end of the circuit, and the magnets 44, 54 and 64 are preferably so wound that none of them operates to pull down' the respective armatures 132, 134 and 136 to release the respective code signal transmitting wheels 138, 140 and 142 until the current flow in the branch circuit is increased by the short circuiting of the resistance at the end of the circuit. The normal current permitted to flow through the respective branch circuits by the resistances at the ends of said circuits is. however, sufiicient to cause the respective trouble relays 4, 6 and 8 to hold the respectiverarmatures 108, 110 and 112 in open Vcircuit relation to the contacts 114,

l116 and 118. If, however, there is a break in any branch circuit or a failure of the current for a-ly other reason, the trouble relay associate wlth that circuit will drop lts armature, thus completing a 'circuit' through thc signal bell 122 and causing a continuous trouble signal to be rung.

As hereinabove pointed out, means is preferably provided at each floor for transmitting a code signal, the illustrated means for the respective floors comprising the usual circuit.- The code signal transmitting cir-4 cuit dmprises the Wire 156 coming in upon the board at 158 and connected with the main terminal 20 through a Wire 160, ]unc tion 162, Wire 22 and fuse 23, the wire 156 leading tol the'toothed code Wheel engaging contact member 144. The lvarious code signal Wheels are normally maintained in the position shown in Fig. 1 in which the respective contact members are held in circuit closing position. Therefore,a'normal ly closed circuit is maintained through the -various transmitter boxes, this circuit comprising Wire 156, contacts 144 and 150, Wire 164, contacts 146 and 152, wire 166, contacts 148 and 154 and return Wire 168 com-` lng in upon the board at 170 and connected to the master relay 10 from Which leads the Wire 174 connected atthe junction 76 with the Wire 78 b which, through the push button 82 and use 84, a circuit is completed to the main terminal 18.

In order that the sending of a code signal may not be interfered with 'by boxes beyond the one operating, means is preferably provided for shunting these boxes out of the signal circuit when the code signal transmitting Wheel begins to turn. To this end, the respective code signal transmitting Wheels 138 and 140 have attached thereto Wheels 176 and 178, each of which is provided` with a notch 180 in which normally rests a toothed contact member 182 vwhich is thus permitted to remain in o'pen circuit relation to the second contact member 184. When the associated code signal transmitting Wheel begins to turn, and With it the Wheel 176 or 178, the toothed member 182 rides upon the periphery of the Wheel 176 or 178 and is thusforced into engagement with the contact 184, and thus in the case of `the wheel 176, completes a shunt circuit from the Wire 164 through the v'Wire 186. In the case of the Wheel 17 8. a shunt circuit is completed from the wire 166 throughl lthe Wire 190 and wire 192 to the -Wire 168. y

The code signal transmitting boxes are of the usual type, comprising a spring 194 for turningr the 'code signal transmitting wrheel,

and in the. illustrated embodiment of the invention, each of these boites is preferably provided with means for indicating when itis run down. To this fend, the segment 196 attached to the spring shaft and Which through the pinion 198; turns the shaft 200 on which the code signal transmitting Wheel and the shunt controlling Wheel are mounted, is provided at its end With an arm 202 which when the transmitter box runs down is carried by the segment into the position shown in dotted lines at the upper part of Fig. 1, thus causing it to move the spring contact member 204 of the associated run-down contact 62, 52 or 40 into open circuit position, thereby breaking the branch circuit in Which the transmitter box is located and causing the trouble signal bell 122 to ring.`

The code signal transmitting box which is set in operation automatically when the resistance at the end of the branch circuit in Which the box is located is short-circuited"V may also be arranged tooperate by hand if it is so desired and through the master relay 10 may be caused to operate any desired signal system or release box or other means for either sounding an alarm or starting or stopping motion. A suitable release box for use .With an installation of this type is that illustrated in my Letters Patent #1,187,135, granted June 1s, 191e, this,

being a' commercial box used in connection With the automatic release of dip `tank covers, theatre skylights, ire screens, fire doors, and similar devices. Signal transmitting boxes of the type referred to are also commercial articles. The master relay 10,is so Wound that the normal 'current iiow through the' circuit holds the armature 206 in such position as to maintain the contact 208 in open circuit relation to the contact 210 in a circuit which in the illustrated embodiment of the invention includes a series of single stroke gongs 212, 214 and 216 Which may be located Wherever it is desired to have a coded signal sounded. It will be noted that the armature 206 Will drop each time lthe code signal transmitting Wheel breaks the circuit and will be again raised as soon as the circuit is again closed.

To provide for sounding a trouble relay in the event that the gong circuit or the circuit thrpugh the transmitter boxes is broken, connections are madeto the trouble relay 12. Through the Wires 218 and 220, the trouble relay 12, and the Wire 222, connection is made from the wire 174 which, asabove set forth, is connected to the main terminal 18. through the Wire 224, board terminal 226 and Wire 228 to each of the gongs 212, 214 and 216 and back through the Wire 230, board terminal 232, balancing resistance 234 and Wires 236, and 22, and fuse 23 to the ter- Inmal 20. The trouble relay 12 is thus in a circuit through Which current normally owsand which includes the gongs 212, 214 and.216. These being single stroke gongs are not operated by the normal current Howof circuit closing relation to the contact 240 through which and the Wire 242, 244, a circuit through the trouble bell 122 is completed. It will thus be seen that if there is any break in the gong circuit, the trouble bell Will be rung. Moreover, if there is a break in the circuit Which includes the master relay 10, the armature 206 Will drop,

thus" bringing the contact '208 into circuit closing relation to the .contact 210, thereby short-circuiting the trouble relay, which will also cause its armature 238 to drop into circuit closing relation to the contact 240, coinpleting a circuit through the trouble bell 122. It Will thus be seen that all parts of the Wiring system are automatically supervised and that derangement anywhere will automatically cause the trouble bell 122 to be rung.

The form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings is intended for use with local battery current. To this end it has been so designed as' to provide for economy of current consumption. The use of resistance in addition to that incidental to the employment of the various electromechanical devices is, therefore, avoided. Instead of placing resistance at the end of the branch circuit for the floor of the building in which the branch circuit is located, this resistance is constituted preferably by the trouble relay magnet and the branch circuit is therefore brought back to the control board. This involves more Wiring than the system in Fig. 1, but results in a greater economy of current Which is desirable when local batteries, instead of city mains, are depended upon for the current supply.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 2, the control board 300 is shown as provided with trouble relay magnets 302, 304, 306/and 308 for four branch circuits, thereby providing for installations of signal operating means on four floors of a building. The current, Which as above suggested may be provided from a local battery, is brought in upon the boardat 310 and 312. From the terminal 310 the current passes through a fuse 314, a time fuse 316, a cutout 318 for the meter 320, through balancing resistance 322, another fuse 324 and a board terminal 326, into one side 328 of the main circuit or'common. The other side 330 of the main circuit or common comes in upon the board at 332 and is connected through the fuse 334, Wire-336 and fuse 338 with the other terminal 312. From these mains or commons 328 and 330 lead the branch circuits -for the respective floors, the circuit for the first floor comprising the Wires 340, 342, coming in upon the board at the binding posts 344 and 346 to which the relay magnet 302 is connected. The relay magnet 302 is thus at the end of the branch circuit for the first floor. The

branch circuit for the second floor comprises the wires 348, 350 coming in upon the board at the binding posts 352 and 354, to which the trouble relay magnet 304 is connected. The branch circuit for the third floor comprises the Wires 356 and 358 coming in upon the board at the binding posts 360 and 362 to which the trouble relay ma et 306 is connected. The branch circultfor the fourth floor comprises continuations 364 and 366 of the mains 328 and 330 which come in upon the board at the binding posts 368 and 370 to which the trouble relay magnet 308 is connected. The respectivetrouble relay magnets are, therefore, located at the ends of the respective circuits.

As in the form o-f the invention shown in Fig. 1, means is provided for short circuiting the resistance at the end of each branch circuit to increase the current flow through the branch circuit, a thermostatic circuit closer or short circuiting device of the type disclosed in the Letters Patent hereinabove identified being shown diagrammatically at 372 in each of the branch circuits. Each of the branch circuits also preferably includes a magnet 374 so Wound as to operate upon an increase of the current flow in the branch circuit, when the resistance at the end of the circuit is cut out, to pull down an armature 376 to release the code signal operating Wheel 378 for the purpose of sounding the code signal through a separate code signal circuit.

The code signal operating circuit comprises a Wire 380 coming in upon the board at the binding post 382, to which a wire 384 and the relay magnet 386 are connected, the wire 380 leading to the separable contacts 388 and 390 of the code Wheel of the first floor, which in turn are connected by a Wire 392 to the separable contacts 394 and 396 of the code Wheel for the second floor,

the circuit being completed through Wire 398, separable contacts 400 and 402 of the code Wheel for the third floor, the Wire 404, separable contacts 406 and 408 of the code wheel for the fourth floor and Wire 41() coming in lupon the board at the binding post 412. The binding post 412 is connected by Wire 414, to the armature 416 of the relay magnet 386 and by wire 418 to relay magnet 420. Through junction 422, Wire 424, Wire 336 and fuse 338, the armature 416 and relay magnet 420 are connected to the main terminal' 312. Through Wire 426, junction 428, Wire 430, fuses 316 and 314, the relay magnet 386 is connected to the main terminal 310. Branching from the junction 428 through the terminal posts 432 and 434 upon the board are parallel gong circuits having and 438 and return Wires 440 and 442 coming in upon the board at 444 and 446 Where they join at 448 the wire 450 leading to the outgoing Wires 436 relay magnet 420, thus through the wires 414, 424 and 336 and fuse 338 completing a circuit to the other main terminal 312. The gongs in the two gong circuits are 6 preferably vibrating gongs and the normal current flowing through these circuits and through the trouble relay magnet 420 will not cause the `Ioperation of the gongs.

' When, however, the circuit through the re- 10 lay magnet 386l is broken by the operation of any one of the code signal transmitting wheels, the armature 416 will drop into circuit 'closing relation to the contact 452, thus short circuiting the magnet 420 out of the gong circuit and causing the gongs to operate with the make and break operation of `the code signal transmitting wheel. The

K. short circuiting of the magnet 420 will also "cause its armature 454 to drop into circuit closing relation to the contact 456 in a trouble signal bell circuit comprising wire 458, board terminal 460, wire 462, trouble signal bell 464, wire 466, board terminal 468, wire 470, terminal 472, trouble battery 474, terminal 476 and wire 478, back to the armature 454. The operation of the code signal transmitting wheel will thus cause a code ringing of the trouble bell. In the event of a -break in the code signal transmitting circuit, the armatures 416 and 454 will drop in the saine manner and a continuous ringing of the trouble bell will take lace.'v p The trouble relays 302, 304, 306 and 308- normally hold their respective armatures 480, 482, 484 and 486 inopen circuit relation to the contacts 488, 490, 492' and 494,

the armatures being respectively connected to one `side of the trouble bell circuit V40 ,through a wire 496, and the contacts being respectively rconnected'to the other side of the trouble. bell circuit through a wire1 498. With this arrangement, a break in any of the branch circuits will cause its trouble 45 magnet to drop its armature and thus com- 1plete a circuit through the trouble bell 464, thereby giving a trouble alarm.

In the form of the inventionshown in Fig. 1, when it is desired to sendan outside alarm in addition to the alarm sounded within the building, as, for example, to send an alarm to fire headquarters, a relay 250 is preferably included in the common wire 24 of the main circuit, which is so wound thatit will operate upon the increased flow of current in the main circuit caused by Athe short-circuiting of the resistance at the end of any branch circuit. 'This relay is illustrated only" diagrammatically as a 50 magnet having the required winding, but it will. be understoodthat it may be used to operate code signal transmitting mechamsm of the type `illustrated in this figure or other means.'4 for transmittingA the de- 'sired alarm, as, forV example, a tripping connection to an outside box, all of which are well-known in the art.

This application, as to commonl subjectmatter, is a continuation of my application Serial No. 79,863, filed Feb. 23, 1916, for tliermostatic systems.

What I claim 'as new is: i

1. In a self-supervised electric signaling system comprising a control board, makeand-break code signal transmitters, a normally closedcircuitin which said transmitters are arranged in series, said circuit being closed through the make-and-breakcontacts of `said transmitters, a relay in the transmitter circuit, a normally closed branch circuit associated with each transmitter and having therein means for actuating the transmitter, a resistance maintaining the normal current in said branch circuit below operating level :tor said actuating means, each ofsaid aforementioned circuits having upon the control board a relay operable upon a break in the circuit to transmit a trouble v alarm, means for short circuiting the resistance in any one of said branch circuits to leffect the actuation of the associated'transmitter, a normally open trouble circuit controlled by said relays and having therein a continuously operable signal, and a single stroke signal and 'a circuit therefor con- 95 trolled from tlierelay in said transmitter circuit.

2. In a self-supervised electric signaling system having a control board, a circuit including make-and-break code signal transmitters in series and normally closed through the make-and-break contacts of said transmitters, a signal relay upon the control board operable upon a break in said transmitter circuit, whereby it serves both to transmit code signals and to give a trouble alarm, a branch circuit for each transmitter, each branch circuit including a relay at the control board operable upon a break in said circuit to give a trouble alarm and also including means for actuating the associated I transmitter said branch circuit including resistance suiiicient to `maintain the supervising current thereinbelow the operating level of said actuating means, and means for short-circuiting said resistance to cause the operation of said actuating means.

3. In a self-supervised electric signaling system having a control board, a circuit including make-and-break signal transmitters arranged in series, said circuit being normally closed through the make-and-break contacts of said transmitters and comprising' a signal relay at the control board operable v upon a brea in said circuit to transmit a 125 signal, a branch circuit for each transmitter box including` a trouble elay upon the control board through whichsaid circuitv is normally closed, said relay operating'upon a break in said circuit to transmit a trouble 180 'therein a lamp tor and resistance sufficient to maintain the.

signal, said circuit having therein a switch arranged to be opened t0 break said circuit when said transmitter box runs down and also having therein means for actuating said transmitter and,resistance sulicient to maintain the supervising current therein below the operating level of said actuating means, and means for short-circuiting the resistance in said last mentioned circuit, said actuating means being arranged to operatey upon the increased current flow thus produced.

4. In a self-supervised electric signalingv system having a control board, a make-andbreak code signal transmitter, a circuit including said transmitter and normally closed through the make-and-break contacts of said transmitter, a signal relay'upon said control board operable upon an interruption of the supervising current'through said normally closed transmitter circuit, whereby said relay serves both to transmit code signals and to indicate other breaks in the circuit, a second normally closed circuit including a relay upon said control board operable upon an interruption of thesupervising current through said circuit and also including means for actuating said transmitter, and a switch arranged to be opened by said transmitter, when said transmltter is in run-down condition, to break said last-mentioned circuit, said last-mentioned circuit havin therein resistance sufficient to maintain t e supervising current in said circuit below the level essential for the operation of said transmitter actuating means, and means for short-circuiting said resistance to cause the actuation of said transmitter.

5. In an electric signaling system, a normally closed signal circuit comprising an outgoing and a return wire and having constituting a signal indicacurrent level below that required to cause said lamp to glow, a troub e relay also in said c1rcu1t, malntained in an inoperative condition by said supervising current and operating upon a break in said circuit to transmit a trouble signal, a second signal relay in said circuit operable upon an increased current iow, and means for shortcircuiting said resistance to cause said lastmentioned relay to operate and said light to glow.

6. ln a self-supervised electric signaling system having a central control board, a circuit including a make-and-break code signal transmitter normally closed through the make-and-break contacts of said transmitter and including a signal relay upon the control board operable upon a break in the circuit to transmit an alarm, a. second normally closed circuit also including a relay upon the control board operable upon a break in said circuit to transmit an. alarm, and a switch in said last mentioned circuit arranged to he opened by said code-signal,

transmitter when it reaches run-down condition, and means in said second circuit for controlling the operation of said transmitter.

7. ln a self-supervised electric signaling system, a spring-operated make-and-break code signal transmitter, a circuit in which said transmitter is located,y said circuit being normally closed through the make-and-break contacts of said transmitter, said circuit also including a trouble signal relay operable upon a break in said circuit, means for actuating said transmitter, a normally closed circuit in which said last mentioned means is located having therein resistance normally maintaining the current in said circuit below the operating level of said actuating means and having therein a trouble relay, and means comprising a switch arranged to break one of said aforementioned circuits to operate one of said trouble relays when said spring. operated transmitter reaches run-down condition.

Signed at New York city, (N. Y., this 11th day of March, 1921.

JOHN H.' DERBY 

